diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en.h
index be52c30c2ad6..ff4ab4691baf 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en.h
@@ -1242,7 +1242,7 @@ struct net_device *
 mlx5e_create_netdev(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev, const struct mlx5e_profile *profile);
 int mlx5e_attach_netdev(struct mlx5e_priv *priv);
 void mlx5e_detach_netdev(struct mlx5e_priv *priv);
-void mlx5e_destroy_netdev(struct mlx5e_priv *priv);
+void mlx5e_destroy_netdev(struct net_device *netdev);
 int mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(struct net_device *netdev,
 				struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev,
 				const struct mlx5e_profile *new_profile,
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
index 9f8d95f8915e..2c06a4abea04 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_main.c
@@ -6643,11 +6643,12 @@ void mlx5e_netdev_attach_nic_profile(struct net_device *netdev,
 	mlx5e_netdev_change_profile(netdev, mdev, &mlx5e_nic_profile, NULL);
 }
 
-void mlx5e_destroy_netdev(struct mlx5e_priv *priv)
+void mlx5e_destroy_netdev(struct net_device *netdev)
 {
-	struct net_device *netdev = priv->netdev;
+	struct mlx5e_priv *priv = netdev_priv(netdev);
 
-	mlx5e_priv_cleanup(priv);
+	if (priv->profile)
+		mlx5e_priv_cleanup(priv);
 	free_netdev(netdev);
 }
 
@@ -6804,7 +6805,7 @@ static int _mlx5e_probe(struct auxiliary_device *adev)
 err_profile_cleanup:
 	profile->cleanup(priv);
 err_destroy_netdev:
-	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(priv);
+	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev);
 err_devlink_port_unregister:
 	mlx5e_devlink_port_unregister(mlx5e_dev);
 err_devlink_unregister:
@@ -6839,7 +6840,9 @@ static void _mlx5e_remove(struct auxiliary_device *adev)
 	struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev = edev->mdev;
 
 	mlx5_core_uplink_netdev_set(mdev, NULL);
-	mlx5e_dcbnl_delete_app(priv);
+
+	if (priv->profile)
+		mlx5e_dcbnl_delete_app(priv);
 	/* When unload driver, the netdev is in registered state
 	 * if it's from legacy mode. If from switchdev mode, it
 	 * is already unregistered before changing to NIC profile.
@@ -6860,7 +6863,7 @@ static void _mlx5e_remove(struct auxiliary_device *adev)
 	/* Avoid cleanup if profile rollback failed. */
 	if (priv->profile)
 		priv->profile->cleanup(priv);
-	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(priv);
+	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev);
 	mlx5e_devlink_port_unregister(mlx5e_dev);
 	mlx5e_destroy_devlink(mlx5e_dev);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
index 52d3ad0b9cd9..6eec88fa6d10 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/en_rep.c
@@ -1611,7 +1611,7 @@ mlx5e_vport_vf_rep_load(struct mlx5_core_dev *dev, struct mlx5_eswitch_rep *rep)
 	priv->profile->cleanup(priv);
 
 err_destroy_netdev:
-	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev_priv(netdev));
+	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev);
 	return err;
 }
 
@@ -1666,7 +1666,7 @@ mlx5e_vport_rep_unload(struct mlx5_eswitch_rep *rep)
 	mlx5e_rep_vnic_reporter_destroy(priv);
 	mlx5e_detach_netdev(priv);
 	priv->profile->cleanup(priv);
-	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(priv);
+	mlx5e_destroy_netdev(netdev);
 free_ppriv:
 	kvfree(ppriv); /* mlx5e_rep_priv */
 }